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Rangers look to build big advantage with second win; Stepan streaking
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers and Lightning play Game 2 at Madison Square Garden tonight,. Expect a big push back from Jon Cooper and the Lightning. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Following yet another 2-1 victory over the Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers will look to capitalize on their home ice advantage and take a 2-0 series lead by stifling Tampa Bay’s offense again.
But that isn’t such an easy task. Alain Vigneault masterfully matched his defensemen up against certain members of the Lightning offense, limiting Steven Stamkos to just one shot on goal, and controlling th pace of play at even strength. Jon Cooper, head coach of the Lightning, had strong words about his team, saying that “we were just handing them tickets to the movie and we were a turnstile and watching them go by.”
The Lightning are very likely to have a better effort tonight than they did on Saturday afternoon. Surprisingly, there really wasn’t any sense of urgency from Tampa, especially when Ben Bishop was out of the net. The Rangers pushed them around the whole game, using their size as a major advantage. They couldn’t get much going at even strength, and they’ll be aiming to change that tonight. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers Practice Report: “Huge opportunity” awaits the Rangers in Game 2
Bobby Bevilacqua
Rick Nash said that Game 2 presents a ‘huge opportunity” for the Rangers to capitalize on their home ice advantage. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers started out the Eastern Conference Finals exactly as they had hoped, coming away with a victory at Madison Square Garden to put them three wins away from returning to the Stanley Cup Finals. Alain Vigneault and his team fought for home ice advantage during the regular season, and now they need to take capitalize on that.
“It’s a huge opportunity for us,” said Rick Nash following the Rangers’ practice on Sunday afternoon. “We have home ice and want to take full advantage of that. We’re going to see their best tomorrow, but we prefer to look at ourselves, and see a huge opportunity to go ahead 2-0.”
Last year, the Rangers did exactly that, winning the first two games of the series against the Montreal Canadiens in the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals. That allowed them to come to the Garden for Game 3 and 4, giving the Rangers a huge leg up in the series. They won Game 4 at MSG, giving them a 3-1 series lead, and a stranglehold on the Canadiens. Read the rest of this entry
Dom Moore’s late goal lifts Rangers to dominating Game 1 win at MSG
Bobby Bevilacqua
Henrik Lundqvist celebrates as the horn sounds, signaling a Game 1 win for the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers had been the better team at even strength throughout most of the game, it took a late goal from Dominic Moore to send the Rangers home happy, coming away with yet another 2-1 win and a 1-o series lead early.
Although it’s only one game, getting off on the right foot is a great way for the Rangers to start the series, giving them a chance to go up two games and head into Tampa with a significant advantage. Having home ice is a luxury, and it would be great to see the Rangers take true advantage of it.
Also, Ben Bishop came into this game with an 8-0-0 record against the Rangers in his career. Getting a win in game one lets the Rangers then know that he can be beaten, and gives them a confidence boost. The armor has been pierced. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers open Conference Finals at home against familiar faces
Bobby Bevilacqua
Martin St. Louis faces off against his former team, a place where he accomplished so much, as they stand between him and a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers and the Lightning are meeting for the first time in five and a half months, as well as the first time ever in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as both teams battle for a chance to play in the Stanley Cup Final. The Rangers are looking to make it back to the finals for the second straight year, while the Lightning are in the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2011.
The connections between these two teams are well documented, especially following the captain for captain trade last season involving Ryan Callahan and Martin St. Louis. Anton Stralman and Brian Boyle both played on the Rangers last season, and Dan Boyle and Dominic Moore were both key members of the Lightning at one point.
But all of that is behind the two teams, who are focused on doing whatever they can to win. St. Louis said it best following Friday’s practice. “You try and approach it as any other team. They’re the team in the way of where we want to be.” Read the rest of this entry
6 Keys to the Rangers taking down the Tampa Bay Lightning
Bobby Bevilacqua
After an emotional comeback against the Washington Capitals, the Rangers find themselves back in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Here’s what they need to do to win. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Washington Capitals presented a lot more obstacles in the second round than were originally anticipating, building up a 3-1 series lead and taking the Rangers through a physical, exciting seven game series. But Alain Vigneault and his coaching staff were able to make the right adjustments, and counter Barry Trotz’s strategies to come away with a series win.
The Capitals and Penguins both tried to focus on shutting down the Rangers’ strengths; their speed, transition game, and puck possession. It worked for the most part, as each series was very close, and forced the Rangers to mostly abandon the long stretch passes and work on other ways of creating possession and scoring chances.
That probably won’t be a problem against the Lightning, mainly due to the fact that the Lightning can actually match up against the Rangers’ speed. So expect a more wide-open style of play, with more scoring chances, odd-man rushes, and probably more goals. Read the rest of this entry
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